Spring BREAK - finally!

Immediately following the wedding we had Spring Break - whew! Kyle worked the first weekend and we both had a written exam to take for LDP but then it was time to have some recovery-family-fun. So, Monday we headed to the Llano Ranch for a day trip. 

THE RANCH

Before it warmed up we headed out for a hike. 

Rebecca distracted picking pretty things.

Kyle teaching them something....and that's about as far as we all get. Maggie recently dropped her nap and its been mostly smooth sailing but this day she decided she was exhausted and super cranky so she and I had to head back to the house for a nap. (I know, you're feeling really bad for me right now - I had to sacrifice and take a nap. Mom-of-the-year.)

Some oreos post-nap. Happiness followed shortly.

Alright, about to head out to do the thing Owen had been asking for for months - a zip line. But first, time to turn a stick into a gun.

Maggie's smile w/ a mouthful of goldfish.

This is each of their personalities pretty much to a T.

Rebecca with her "new friend - Treesy" - she was crushed when I told her we couldn't take "him" home. Second photo is her saysing - But Mommmmmmmmm!?!

Got over it when it was her turn to zip.

Wheeeeeee!

Now for the big guy.

He approves.

To our surprise, Maggie insisted upon having a turn!

A little nose-pick while Kyle gets her rig settled.

Ready?

Ready!

(He held on to her leg the whole way.)

Spontaneous thank you.

A couple more runs for everyone - successful zip line!

We did some golf-cart riding (mostly Maggie and I), ate dinner, enjoyed the sunsetty-time of day (we always seem to be inside putting kiddos to bed so forget about how beautiful dusk is!) and drove home. Seriously great day. 

Then on Wednesday we loaded up for a mini vacay with another family to my favorite new place:
HYATT LOST PINES aka HEAVEN ON EARTH

Seriously, I could go on and on and on. It's like camping + hotel + summer camp + easy + kids activities everywhere + good food buffet style + hotel amenities + beautiful spring weather + fun friends = perfection!!!
They have lots of for-fee activities that seem like they would be especially appealing if you have older kids but we were completely content and busy with all the free stuff! We did the pool/lazy river/slide/beach area for a long stretch after we first arrived (Maggie especially loved the slide - going down w/ Kyle and both big kids loved it all). We also borrowed their free bikes and rode around, did arts/crafts time, did s'mores at night around a huge fire pit, played in bouncy houses (indoors!), played "tennis" (if you can call it that w/ 5 kids), ping pong, petted an alpaca named Yogi...you get the idea - we did (as Jen Hatmaker would say) ALL THE THINGS. :)

We were so busy doing things that I took exactly one photo. The girls eating ice cream (that they got to buy w/ a token for having eaten all their dinner the night before - what a great idea HLP)!

Kyle is the better parent and he took exactly 2 photos - Maggie asleep at dinner - like full on passed out in her chair.

And Maggie pushing sweet Elizabeth around. Elizabeth is the youngest kiddo of the Contine Family.

Hayes (their oldest) was in Owen's class last year and they're still good buddies. Their middle guy Sutton is just a little younger than Rebecca and they play sooooooo well together too. That left Maggie to "babysit" (her word) sweet Elizabeth. It's great know your child has made a sweet friend. It's even better when that child is part of a sweet family - I think we all thought we travelled really well together...I suspect this will be the first of hopefully many Mezger-Contine adventures. :)

I'm bad about taking pics on the fly but I seriously CAN'T believe I didn't get a single shot of all the kids together or at least the boys. Now we REALLY have to go back...

So, that was the end of the family portion of Spring Break...we got back and hustled to unpack and get some laundry done and then my fun times w/ Christal, Katie and Cary (from NC) at a weekend photography workshop began the next morning - but that's another post. :)